Dubai drivers to be fined for double parking

Getting parked in may just become an experience of the past thanks to the latest feature on the Dubai Police app.

The Dubai Police app now allows all drivers who have been parked in to report the car or cars obstructing them.

Should you find yourself blocked in, all you have to do is open the app, select the “traffic services” option, then select “vehicle obstruction”. Once you’ve done that, enter the car’s number plate and upload a picture of the “obstruction”.

After you’ve successfully added all the required data, the police will notify the driver at fault via SMS.

The driver/ drivers will then be given a period of time of which to move their car.

Should they fail to do so, they will be issued an AED500 fine.

The introduction of this much needed feature comes just weeks after city passed a number of new driving laws under decree No. 178.

If you’re unfamiliar with the new driving rules, here are a few that you need to know…

Drivers caught without number plates will face an AED3,000 fine, 23 black points and will have their cars confiscated for 90 days.

Those caught driving noisy vehicles (cars that have had the sound of their exhaust and engine enhanced and those caught blasting music) face a fine of up to AED2,000 and will have six black points added to their license.

Drivers caught without seatbelts will be penalised with a fine of AED400 and four black points.

The driver will be fined the same amount for each passenger caught without a seatbelt. The penalty extends to those travelling taxis as well.

In fact, the Assistant Commander-in-Chief for Operational Affairs at the Dubai Police and Director of Federal Traffic Council Major-General Mohammed Saif Al Zafeen, has revealed that all taxi drivers have been given permission not to start their meter until all seat belts have been fastened.

“Taxi drivers should be aware that all passengers need to wear the seatbelt. If a passenger refuses, the driver has the right to not move the vehicle until the passenger complies. The driver is the captain of the vehicle and he must control everything inside. Taxi drivers can persuade passengers even in the rear seats to wear the seatbelt. Otherwise, they will be fined,” he told local news agency, Gulf News.

Other changes include higher penalties for speeding.

Drivers caught exceeding the maximum speed limit by 80kmph will be slapped with AED3,000 fine, 23 black points and will have their car confiscated for 60 days.

Drivers caught exceeding the maximum speed limit by 60kmph will be given AED2,000 fine, 12 black points and will have their car impounded for 30 days.

Drivers who exceed the speed limit by less than 60kmphr will face a fine of AED1,500 and will receive six black points and will have their car impounded for 15 days.

People caught driving above the speed limit by 50, 40, 30 and 20kmph will receive a cash fine of AED1000, AED700, AED600 and AED300 respectively.